Trump in “deciding mode” on Iran: “If and when I blow the entire nation up?” — open to meeting Pezeshkian at the UN

President Donald Trump declared on Sunday, 20 September, that he is in "deciding mode" for the next phase of the US war with Iran, warning that "very big things will happen in the not-too-distant future". In a conversation with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump laid out three possible paths: the "disappearance" of Iran, letting it "rot economically" or reaching a deal.

"My question is: if and when I blow the entire nation up? They better behave," Trump said according to Yingst, without clarifying what such an escalation would entail. The war, which began with American and Israeli strikes on 28 February, is entering its seventh month.

Despite the threatening tone, Trump said he was open to meeting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week. His administration will allow a "substantial" Iranian delegation, including Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to attend the session.

The statements come as Iran’s central military command warned on Sunday that any new American attack would be followed by sustained strikes on American bases and interests in the region, saying it has information that a new attack is being prepared — without giving details. The US State Department issued a security alert on Saturday for American citizens in the Middle East, warning of "potential for unanticipated escalation".

Trump has repeated threats of major escalation throughout the conflict, including the April declaration that "an entire civilization will die tonight", but has so far not carried them out. He has also minimized the war’s economic burden, calling the high price of fuel a "very cheap price for what we have done".

Source: USA Today